Mr. Paul Hogan:

I thank the committee for the invitation to come here today along with colleagues from the Departments of Transport Tourism and Sport, Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform to discuss the development of Ireland’s sustainable transport system under the related headings of decarbonisation, integration and modal shift. I am the principal adviser of the planning side of the Department and I am joined today by my colleague, Ms Laura Courtney, planning adviser.

On the spatial pattern and development structure, we are all aware that the places where homes, workplaces, education, service and leisure activities are located, and the form of development that they may take, that is high or low density, concentrated or dispersed, mixed use or single use, when considered together, have a determining impact on mobility and travel behaviour.

The resultant pattern of movement in the frequency, length, location and duration of trips, consequently influences choice regarding the availability of different modes of transport and, ultimately, the quality and sustainability of our urban and rural places.

The Department is working with colleagues in the other Departments represented here and agencies, such as the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in particular, to address decarbonisation through land use and transport integration and to encourage a greater sustainable mode share.

As part of Ireland 2040, the NPF sets out long-term policy, operating horizontally across Government and cascading vertically down through the three regional spatial and economic strategies, RSESs, to directly influence the operation of the planning system through the 31 local authority county or city development plans. To support this, we are currently updating statutory planning guidelines for the preparation of development plans, which will include provision for sustainable patterns and forms of development, that may be related to indicators that can be used for monitoring, such as commuting patterns and transport mode share.

Since the NPF was finalised in 2018, there have been a series of complementary supporting measures from the publication of new apartment and building height guidelines, to the launch of the urban and rural regeneration and development funds, URDF and RRDF, together worth €3 billion to 2027.

Sustainable mobility, where successfully achieved, is self-reinforcing. For example, a higher density of homes and workplaces generally, but especially around public transport nodes, combined with a greater mix of land-uses and investment in public transport and amenities such as public spaces, including parks and greenways, will facilitate: greater proximity of homes to employment and services; reduced travel distances for trips of every kind; more sustainable mode share, that is, walking, cycling and public transport; which means a greater proportion of zero emission trips by bike or on foot; shorter, more frequent and more reliable public transport trips; more viable public transport; the possibility of forms of development not dependent on road capacity or determined by car parking requirements; less urban land for road space and car parking; better used and safer public spaces and walking and cycling routes; and more footfall and greater business viability in our settlements.

Recognising that much of the change will have to take place within existing settlements, an updated version of the design manual for urban roads and streets, also known as DMURs, has recently been published by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. This is a collaborative document with significant planning, architectural and urban design input, that ensures a design toolkit that better reflects the needs of all road users, especially in built-up urban areas.

In addition, technological change, particularly in the form of electric vehicles, EVs, although at an early stage, will be significant. The targeted increase in the electric vehicle fleet will be in part facilitated by measures to ensure the availability of more electric charging points in new developments, arising from the work of the EV task force.

Spatial pattern, the form of development and sustainable mobility when combined, have an impact on levels of activity, footfall and viability in settlements, which influence their attractiveness and quality. In broad terms, the more convenient and safer it is for more people to get around by a range of modes, the greater the likelihood there is that streets and cycleways, public transport stops and routes will be frequently used.

The greater the catchment population served and available footfall, the easier it is for a range of shops, services and commercial outlets to operate. Ultimately, high levels of mobility combined with amenities and services will create desirable places in which to live, work, invest and visit.